Guillen drives in three as Mariners pound Maddux

May 20, 2007 - 6:29 AM
SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Jose Guillen made up for a career of
struggles against Greg Maddux in just two at-bats.

Guillen homered and doubled against Maddux as the Seattle
Mariners posted a 7-4 victory over the San Diego Padres on
Saturday.

Horacio Ramirez improved to 4-0 at home and 7-0 all-time in
interleague matchups with six solid innings for the Mariners,
who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Guillen opened the scoring with his fifth blast in the first
inning, then drilled a two-run double in the second to extend
the edge to 5-1.

"I threw it down the middle, he hit it out," Maddux said of the
Guillen home run. "It's that simple. I didn't locate and when
you don't locate, hitters that have that kind of power are going
to take advantage and he did."

Guillen entered 2-for-15 lifetime against Maddux and was in an
0-for-11 skid overall.

"I've faced (Maddux) a lot before," Guillen said. "It was just
one of those nights, his pitches weren't moving at all. He
pretty much left them right there in the middle of the plate."

Guillen has been one of Seattle's hottest hitters of late with
hits in 18 of his last 24 games, batting .311 with eight
doubles, four home runs and 20 RBI raising his average from .176
to .274 as he returns from missing most of last season
following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

"It takes time to get your feet back on the ground and get used
to playing baseball at this level," Seattle manage Mike Hargrove
said of Guillen. "Slowly, but surely he's come around and (he)
hit the ball hard twice tonight, the two run homer and the
double down the line."

Andre Beltre added his sixth homer in the third and Ichiro
Suzuki scored on a stolen base - throwing error - by catcher
Ryan Bowen in the fourth for a 7-1 edge.

Maddux (3-3), who was coming off a five-hit complete game
victory over Cincinnati on Monday, lasted just 3 2/3 innings,
getting blasted for seven runs and 12 hits.

A four-time Cy Young Award winner, the righthander was seeking
career win No. 337, but instead surrendered season highs in hits
and runs. The two homers were his first allowed in 45 2/3
innings.

Ramirez (4-2) yielded three runs and seven hits in six frames.
In his first three starts at Safeco, the lefthander yielded
three earned runs in 18 2/3 innings. His first six interleague
triumphs came as a member of the Atlanta Braves.

The middle innings, he pitched really well and got quick outs
and threw strikes, and then there were two or three innings
where he struggled get that third out, Hargrove said of his
starter's night. Obviously, he pitched well enough to win and we
scored a lot of runs early and were able to hang on.

Three relievers bridged the gap to closer J.J. Putz, who notched
his 10th save in as many chances.